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Selected:Argument MappingRequest for CommentsSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Change Analysis
| Criterion | ![]() Decision Making Argument Mapping | ![]() Architecture Request for Comments | ![]() Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) | ![]() Operations Change Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When statements, evidence, and counterarguments get mixed up, a debate quickly loses its structure. Argument Mapping breaks a thesis down into its reasoning and makes visible what it really rests on. | An RFC clarifies architecture context, options, and consequences. It structures technical context, alternatives, tradeoffs, open questions, and review feedback, and captures the result as an RFC document, reviewer comments, and a decision rationale. | SAAM helps teams judge an architecture’s suitability for selected tasks and changes. It is particularly useful for examining modifiability and comparing architecture alternatives with clear reasoning. | For a deviation after a change, the method isolates the influence of the altered condition. It narrows down which differences are relevant and which are just accompanying noise. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 45-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-8 | 3-20 Reviewer | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale | RFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or tickets | Domain functions mapped to components and connections, Quality attributes and evaluation criteria, Typical tasks and their effects on the architecture, Reasoned evaluation or comparison of alternatives | Change Matrix, Cause Hypotheses, Validation Questions, Action List |
Tagsno overlap | SensemakingDecisionRationale | ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | ChangeRoot causeTroubleshootingComparison |



